Mark S. Gaede

Published Jan 18, 2014 at 11:16PM

Aug. 11, 1953 - Dec. 24, 2013

Mark Steven Gaede, age 60 of Vienna, VA passed away in his home December 24, 2013 as a result of complications from a fall.

Mark was born Aug. 11, 1953 in Gary, Indiana, to Francis & Darlene (Lunn) Gaede. His family moved to Bend in 1967 where he attended area schools, and graduated from Bend High School in 1971. He went on to study at Oregon State University in Corvallis, OR, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in 1977. He married his high school sweetheart, Sandy Kerkoch also in 1977, and continued his schooling at Lewis and Clark College of Law in Portland, OR.

He began his career on Capitol Hill working with his home state congressmen, the honorable Les AuCoin and Bob Duncan, followed by service with the USDA during the Clinton administration. He was a consultant for Duke Solar, worked for the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, and testified at Congressional hearings.

Mark was a fixture in the D.C. community his entire career. In 2002, he joined the staff of the National Association of Wheat Growers as Director of Government Affairs for Environ- mental Policy, where he remained until his death.

Mark was united in marriage November 10, 2010 to Onrakornrung (Kitty) of Arlington, VA. He was an avid baseball fan, favoring the New York Yankees and later the Washington Nationals. An accomplished guitarist, he fully enjoyed music. Mark loved U.S. history and knew it inside and out. With the stresses of life, he made physical fitness part of his daily routine. He also had a love for his cats. Mark had the gift and ability to talk on any subject to anyone; he was truly a genius and will be missed by many.

He is survived by his wife, Kitty; his sister, Kim (Michael) Merritt of Bend; his nephews, Ryan Michael Merritt, Corey Steven Merritt and their children, all of Bend; as well as many close friends and colleagues.

Funeral services for Mark will be held 1:00 p.m. Saturday, January 25, 2014 at Everly-Wheatley Funeral Home Chapel, 1500 West Braddock Rd., Alexandria, VA 22302. A visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. that same day, prior to his service.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions to the Humane Society in Marks name are suggested.